Conscience Food Choices - The Case for Veganism “I tried to amend my carnivorous habits.” - Jimmy Buffett We are not vegans, but we have been eating a plant-based diet for nearly twenty years. Our reasons for this have been based on health and moral concerns. Study after study show that meat consumption leads to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity, among other diseases. And, the horrible treatment of animals in the mass production of meat products is well documented. Thirty years ago, those who cared [...]

Great White Shark Cage Diving - Fins Up In South Africa “You're gonna need a bigger boat.” - Chief Martin Brody (Jaws) Day breaks over a cloudless sky - we couldn’t have asked for better weather. We had seen Southern Right Whales breaching in Hermanus, and hope to see another one of the ocean’s great creatures. We take the shuttle to the skipper’s house in Gaansbai, where breakfast and the boat are waiting. Shortly afterwards, we reach Dyer Island - home to a colony of Cape Fur Seals. These creatures are [...]

Healthy Hydration - Drinking Water Treatment “Blue are the life-giving waters taken for granted. They quietly understand” - Jimi Hendrix Not A Drop To Drink Many of us who are privileged enough to live in the developed world take many things for granted. Immediate access to clean drinking water is perhaps the most useful advantage to our health and welfare that can be desired. The fact that water is piped directly to our kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms is one thing. The convenience that hot water comes out of one faucet [...]

Plastic Pollution - Life In A Polymer World “I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.” - Pete Townshend Plastic Pollution Plaguing the Planet We wouldn’t get far in our day without it. Although it has only been around for less than a hundred years, its ubiquity compels our dependency on it. The vast majority of products manufactured today include it in some form or another, if they aren’t made out of it entirely. It is lightweight, durable, versatile, convenient and cheap. Human civilization has moved from the Stone [...]

Stewards and Ambassadors - 10 Rules For Respecting Local Culture “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” -Clifton Fadiman Responsible Selfishness Most of us travel to make ourselves better or browner, and our time and effort is used to learn, see and experience as much as we can. We travel to exotic places to benefit from the culture and surroundings, but do the local culture and environment benefit from our presence? Although we may [...]

Environmental Travel - 5 Ways To Leave A Smaller Footprint “Give a hoot - don't pollute! Lend a hand - care for the land!"” - Woodsy Owl Environmental Travel Environmental degradation is a serious global problem that cannot be ignored, especially when we travel. Although basic environmental awareness and protection may seem like afterthoughts in a western economy, they are enlightened by developing-world standards. Below are some socially conscious travel tips to help lighten your environmental footprint wherever you may be. Despite the tent card, straws are [...]

Socially Conscious Travel – Ideas For Responsible Tourism “For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum Selfish Desires Travel is a selfish endeavor. Few people, if any, travel for the exclusive benefit of others. But, selfish travel isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The growth travelers experience traveling can apply to a more complete perspective on the world, which might not otherwise exist. Travel can have a positive impact on both [...]

Shall We Go, You And I, While We Can? - Slow Travel With No Time To Lose “We will leave this place an empty stone Or shining ball of blue we can call our home.” - Grateful Dead The Future’s Here, We Are It, We Are On Our Own We have been put on notice – and it isn’t the first time. In 1992, The Union of Concerned Scientists – a collection of 1700 scientists from 71 countries, including the majority of Nobel Laureates – issued its first warning. It cautioned [...]